OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: SATURDAY 7 MAY 2016 THEME: MORE THAN CONQUERORS

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

Read: Isaiah 53:1-5

1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Message

Sometime ago, someone gave an illustration to explain the term more than conquerors. He said it could mean that you are greater than conquerors. He cited the case of a boxer who goes into the ring, fights and defeats his opponents, receives the prize and returns home to handover the prize to his wife. According to this fellow, the wife is the one who is more than a conqueror. Her husband is conqueror because he endured some beating and bruises, but the wife did not suffer anything yet the prize was given to her on a platter of gold. In the same way, Jesus Christ our Bridegroom engaged the devil in a big fight. He was beaten, wounded, spat upon, defamed, disgraced, crucified and murdered. He won the battle through the power of resurrection and thereafter handed over the prize to us. Isaiah 53:4-5 says:

"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

Being more than conquerors could also connote someone that has scored multiple victories from several battles or wars. There are several enemies that accost us in the battles of life. One of such enemies is the generational curse, this is a curse pronounced on someone family even before his birth and it keeps affecting descendants of that family. For instance, in Genesis 49:1-4, Jacob pronounced a curse on Reuben saying he will never excel, and this affected his lineage for several years after. Some people are still suffering from similar curse. In spite of all their talents, natural endowments and qualifications, they never get to the top. It is not because they are not making enough effort; in real terms, they are making more than enough efforts, yet certain forces, in response to earlier curses, frustrate them or make it impossible for them to move to higher levels. Generational curses must not be allowed in your life. In the Name that is above every other name, any generational curse operating in your life shall come to nothing. The family of Eli that should have produced priest forever became beggars through divine curse (1 Samuel 2:30-34). Gehazi, together with his generation, was also cursed with leprosy (2 Kings 5:20-27). Are you seeing signs of generational curses in your life? Ask God to destroy them today. Also find out if there is anything you are doing to make such curse effective in your life.

"As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8:36

More than conquerors is a status bestowed on humanity through the love of God the Father, the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus the Son, and the magnificent work of the Holy Spirit. It is accessible to all human beings who will freely accept Jesus as their Lord and personal Saviour.

Prayer Point:

Father, make me victorious over every negative circumstance of life in the Name of Jesus.